


Magic Rises

by crystanagahori



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Badass Kylo and Badass Rey, F/M, If you read Ilona Andrews this is all familiar, Magic AU, Modern AU, Porgs like kylo, Reylo - Freeform, The magic AU nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-13 11:49:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16892040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystanagahori/pseuds/crystanagahori
Summary: Rey finds lost things. It’s what she does, and what she’s always been able to do. Magical artifacts, prized jewellery, a blue ribbon giant pumpkin, you name it, she can find it.When Leia Organa of House Organa-Solo asks her to find Luke Skywalker, Rey’s sure that Kylo Ren moving in next door isn’t a coincidence. She’s going to have to use all the magic in her arsenal to figure out what’s going on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to my first *ever* Star Wars/Reylo fic! Written for After the Blazing Fire Dies: the 2019 Reylo Fanfiction Anthology Gift Exchange, so Happy New Year 2019 for those reading!
> 
> If you read Ilona Andrews, you might find the concepts here very similar, mostly because I love their books, and because I love the idea that Rey is powerful AF. 
> 
> So enjoy!

“This is the last time,” Rey grumbled to herself as she trudged up the steps to her apartment on the third floor. Too low for the elevator, too high for stairs. Typical of Rey’s life, really. “I go out to look for a bloody pumpkin ever again.”

She knew she was talking to herself. It was the only way she could keep her head on straight some days in this job. Espescially said prized pumpkin, after having led her on a wild goose chase, exploded in Rey’s face. Now she was wet, goopy and out of a success fee. She needed a bath, a nap and sleep.

Such was the glamorous life of Rey Niima, Seeker.

In a world where magic was everything, even the tiniest of abilities made you worth something. Rey had object memory, able to pull memories from items in a way that made her great at finding things—grandmother’s jewelry, keys, the contents of a safety deposit box that banks had seized, and in today’s case, a blue ribbon prize winning pumpkin. The owner was a plant mage who was experimenting when he claimed that someone took the pumpkin. Not so.

More like the pumpkin grew legs and started crawling away until it ran into a tractor while Rey was following it through a rice field. Her client had been stunned, as it turned out, their child had the ability to animate inanimate objects, including her father's pumpkin. Her mother, also an anima mage, seemed almost...relieved.

Magic was inherited. Years ago, in a time very imaginatively called Pre-Magic, Anakin Skywalker developed a way to increase the midichlorian count in an average human, essentially giving them magical abilities according to what evolution would have given them many generations later. He did this for enough people to create a whole society of mages and magic users. A society that split into two factions--those who believed that magic must be used to dominate, and those who believed that magic was to be shared. Anakin joined the Empire of Houses, called himself Darth Vader, and for a time, there was no peace. Houses clashed, and people without magic were caught in the crossfire as the Empire created more and more magic users.

But when Vader died, taking the ability with him, the houses split, fought and settled. Things calmed down, and a Republic was established, and magic was passed down to the next generation. The most elite families in Coruscant could track their genealogy back to the first group touched by Darth Vader, while some, like Rey, were assumed to have residual magic from an errant dalliance--bad blood, as the more prejudiced would say.

Not that Rey would know where she was supposed to belong, as orphans often don’t. She didn’t even have First-level ability, at most she had a little quirk that she used to survive. It afforded her a tiny but serviceable apartment in the slightly shadier parts of Coruscant, a client base that trusted her, and enough hot water to wash off pumpkin goop when needs must.

Rey imagined lying down on her somewhat decent bed (the one luxury she afforded herself) as she made her way back to her apartment, already imagining the long sleep that would follow—when she realized that Kylo Ren was in her hallway.

Anyone with any sense knew who Kylo Ren was. Second in command for House Snoke, Kylo Ren had a reputation for being the entirety of Snoke’s offense, a one man army in a mask. The old Senate building in downtown Coruscant was levelled by a motion of his hand. Kylo was ruthless, a powerful telekenetic, and gave zero fucks about anything but the next target.

So what was he doing here?

Rey paused, staying just at the part of the apartment staircase where he couldn’t see her, clamping her hand over her mouth just to make sure. There were eight apartments on her floor, five of which had families with young children. She tensed, already trying to think of a way to distract Kylo if she needed to pull anyone out.

He was tall. Much taller than she thought, and it only made him seem more imposing in all black. His broad shoulders seemed tense, like he was waiting for an attack.

He stopped in front of Rey’s door, and she tensed even more.

Then, inexplicably, he pulled a key from seemingly nowhere, unlocked the empty apartment next to Rey’s and walked in, throwing his mask on the ground behind him.

What just happened?

Rey waited for another minute, just to make sure Kylo wouldn’t come out and picked up his mask, knowing exactly what she was about to do.

Memories filled her mind. The mask was metal, much heavier than she expected, a perfect conductor of memory, and Rey saw *everything.* How Snoke could enter someone else's mind and speak without being invited, Kylo included, how Kylo stared down an army of men and simply smashed their heads against each other because he had to. There were other memories, more horrible memories, all moving towards one moment where Kylo stared down right into Snoke’s eyes and held out his hands, ready to attack. Rey let go of the mask and rushed into her apartment, locking the door behind her.

Kylo Ren had moved in next door, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

* * *

  
“Let us handle him,” Finn Proudly-Has-No-Magic Sevin said, stretching his arms forward and cracking his knuckles later that evening.

They were huddled around Finn and Poe’s coffee table, her, Finn and Rose. How odd to think that an entire room could hold everyone Rey ever held dear. Well, more if she included Poe, who was still out for an emergency meeting at Ileenium with House Organa-Solo, but he was still in Rey’s heart. Funny and terrifying how her little corner of the world was slowly to expanding to include these people.

“We’ll bust in there and arrest his ass.”

“Sure, like you could just take down Kylo Ren like that,” Rose called from Finn’s oven, where she was adjusting something. Rose, being one of the best tech mages in town, was forever fiddling around their apartments for something to fix. She was really good at it, too, which was how Rey managed to still have working appliances back at her place despite being scavenged and held together by duct tape. “He’s second in command at House Snoke! Snoke would never let his lackey get caught that easily. I heard Kylo Ren once crushed a tank with one look.”

“I heard he was the one who crumpled House Trusk's steel wall down when they were trying to harbor one of Snoke’s mages at Crait,” Finn whispered like Kylo Ren was next door to _him_. "They were already allies of the First Order!"

The First Order. The one they were calling the 'new Empire', with House Snoke in the lead. Snoke, Kylo Ren and House Hux was a powerful combination that was sweeping Coruscant. War was written on the wall, but nobody wanted to admit it outright just yet.

“So what are you going to do, Rey?” Rose asked.

“I don’t know,” Rey pulled her knees up close to her chest and chewed on her pizza. “I need to find out what he’s up to. I have a feeling it’s not what I think it is.”

“Well, your instincts have never been wrong,” Finn said slowly, and it was the truth. Finn insisted it was one of her powers, but Rey waved it off like it was nothing. Because it was. “But at the same time, you have to be careful. Kylo Ren is the most dangerous guy in the city, and I should know. I used to work for Snoke. Find out what you can, but please, Rey. Do _not_ engage.”

"Oh, did we tell you the latest Luke Skywalker story yet?" Rose suddenly asked, and Rey's head immediately perked up.

"No, what happened?" Rey asked, turning to where Rose was fiddling with the microwave with a triumphant little smile on her face.

"Hey, I wanted to tell Rey the newest story," Finn complained, and Rose stuck her tongue out at him like they were both five years old.

"I don't know why we keep calling him Luke Skywalker," Rey said, shaking her head and taking another bite of her pizza. "Like we have any proof at all that it's him."

"It's him," Finn insisted. "Who else would be helping us when we pull people out of First Order attacks? Or scrambles comms right when we need it?"

"All we know is that he goes around in a mask," Rey laughed. "It could be Kylo Ren, for all we know."

Finn and Rose looked at her like she'd just said the exact wrong thing, and Rey immediately brushed it off by asking Rose to tell her of Faux Luke Skywalker's latest exploits. She still wasn't quite used to this 'people' thing.

* * *

Which was why she was at Kylo Ren's door the next day with a box of cookies and a bright smile.

"So much for 'do not engage,'" she said to herself. Really, were her self-preservation instincts at an all time low to think that this was smart?

She stood in front of the door, hesitating. She could have touched his doorknob and asked it anything she wanted.Surely his doorknob would tell her. But did she want to know what went on inside that apartment?

“What are you doing?” A voice said behind her and Rey jumped twenty feet in the air.

“Cookies!” She exclaimed, holding up the box from the bakery a few blocks away. She hoped she hadn’t been *too* on the nose when she ordered dark chocolate. “I just wanted to say hi to my new neighbor. So...hi.”

Kylo Ren snorted, and Rey realized for the first time that she was seeing him without a mask, and hel-lo he was handsome. Awkwardly so, in a way that had to hit you in the face for you to recognize that yup, you were standing in front of a handsome bastard. A scar ran down one side of his face, but it didn't take away from his looks at all. Rey wondered if she’d held on long enough to his mask, she would have seen how he got it.

Kylo Ren had a face.

His eyebrows furrowed, and Rey wondered if he was debating between strangling her or throwing her down the stairs.

“Thank you,” he said instead, taking the box forcibly from her hands, pushing past her and entering his apartment.

Rey looked at the closed door, and blinked.

He said thank you.

Something must be going on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realize you have to post everything by January 7th—!! So here’s a souble feature. :)
> 
> By the way, if you’d like to follow me on Tumblr, I’m crystanagahori there as well. Bonus points if you know where I got the name from!

~~~~Three days later, she wasn’t having much success at trying to find out Kylo Ren’s nefarious plans. He usually kept to himself and was very rarely in his apartment. Rey would touch his doorknob occasionally to be sure, and really it wasn’t as dirty as it sounded (it was). But he was usually absent, occasionally limping, and always had an order of food and bacta patches delivered to his door addressed to 'Matt Calrissian,' whoever that was.

Just the other day, she’d actually knocked on his door an asked to borrow sugar, wearing her lowest cut top. She had exactly one top she used when she needed to seduce a target (and she hated that it was a thing, but sometimes it was), and she wore it today. Kylo merely blinked at her, and said he didn’t have sugar, closing the door in her face.

“Hey neighbor!” She said brightly to him as he passed her in the hall that afternoon. Shock of shocks, Kylo Ren took the stairs. For some reason, Rey assumed he didn’t.

He gave her a nod without looking at her, hastily making his way down the stairs. Was it just Rey’s imagination, or was he actually pressing against the wall like he was trying to avoid her more?

Well. Let it be said that Rey was no spy. She was a Seeker, and she needed to find her next client.

She didn’t have to wait that long.

She touched her doorknob, and immediately knew that her apartment wasn’t as empty as she left it. Metal was good at holding memory, and Rey’s doorknob showed her the image of a smartly dressed woman speaking with her super as he unlocked Rey’s door just a few minutes ago.

“If I didn’t know any better,” she murmured to her doorknob, “that looks exactly like...”

She didn’t wait, didn’t waste time, and opened the door.

Sitting primly on her garbage-found couch like she owned the whole place was Leia Organa, current head of House Organa-Solo, leader of the Resistance and one of the strongest empaths in the country. Rumor has it that Leia could give you one look and know exactly what you really wanted, cutting through political bullshit like a knife. The fact that she was Anakin Skywalker’s daughter also gave her quite the intimidating mien. That didn’t explain why she was on Rey’s couch, though.

“Rey!” Leia exclaimed, unsurprised, unruffled, but more like she was extremely pleased to see her. “I am so sorry to barge in to your home like this, Finn said it would be fine.”

Finn worked closely with House Organa-Solo, in the brink of a war they needed a strategist and someone who knew the ins and outs of the enemy operation. Finn should have mentioned his boss was planning to break in to her apartment.

“Right,” Rey nodded, stepping in to the kitchenette, leaving her groceries on the counter as she filled a kettle with water. “Tea?”

“With milk and sugar if you have it.”

“Milk, no sugar. Even my neighbor was out,” she rolled her eyes, and the kettle started whistling. She poured tea for herself and Leia, and before she could bring it over to her, Leia lifted a hand, and both their mugs gently lifted in the air, tracking Rey as she made her way over to the couch and coffee table with milk and sugar in both hands.

Leia was a telekenetic. Cool.

“That’s handy,” Rey commented to her with a smile as she let Leia prepare her own cup first.

“It is, most of the time,” Leia agreed. “They say telepathy should have been my primary ability, but I never bothered to learn more than pick up things.”

_Right_ , Rey thought. _Because Vader was a telepath who could level cities with a sweep of his hand._

Leia must have sensed Rey's sarcasm somehow, because she merely took a sip of her tea and looked away like she wanted to give Rey some privacy.

“What can I do for House Organa Solo?” Rey asked instead. “I’m assuming Finn told you what I do for a living.”

“Yes. You’re a Seeker. Of a very fine reputation, I might add,” Leia said, arching a perfect brow at Rey, as if daring her to contest the fact. “I’m in need of your services, Rey.”

“You need me to look for something?”

Leia shook her head.

“Someone?”

“My brother,” she said, her voice immediately wistful and worried. “Luke Skywalker.”

Rey took a deep breath and took a sip of tea to hide her surprise. The first thing she learned in this job was that it was best to pretend like nothing surprised you.

Luke Skywalker. Rey had honestly thought he was more legend than man. Leia’s twin brother had been one of the major players in creating the current peace between the Houses of Coruscant, and as Anakin Skywalker’s son, was rumored to have his father’s ability to manipulate midichlorians. That was enough for the Houses to want him by their side, to lay their weapons down and create peace.

But once the treaties were signed, he disappeared. It must have been five, ten years ago when Rey would hear legends and stories of him while she was rifling through garbage for food, finding out where the good stuff was. _Luke Skywalker saved us all,_ they said. _What a legend._

“You want me to find Luke Skywalker?” Rey asked, unsure what to say. "I thought he was currently helping you."

"Whoever that stranger is, he is not my brother," Leia insisted. "I know Luke. This isn't him. He needed to disappear five years ago, and that was fine,” Leia waved her hand around like this happened a lot. “But I need him now, more than ever. It's time to put a face on the rebellion. After losing Han…”

She paused, and Rey froze in a panic, unsure of what to do if Leia Organa started to cry on her couch. Leia must have sensed it, because she took a deep inhale and maintained her stiff upper lip. This woman was a rock, and Rey was totally in awe of her.

“House Snoke took over House R'iia last night,” Leia said, shaking her head sadly. House R'iia was a huge family of strong wind mages, but they liked to insist that they were descended from gods, and Vader's gift had only aided their destiny. “At this point, they've waved the First Order flag and declared war. Not a House. An Order of my father’s followers, all hell bent into folding all the houses to join them. Resistance means rebellion to them, and they won’t stop until they take over all of Coruscant.”

She tapped hard on the ground, and Rey was surprised to realize that she had a cane. Some observant Seeker she was.

“So. Needless to say, I need Luke Skywalker. I need my brother.”

“I’ll do it.”

* * *

“I shouldn’t have said yes,” Rey grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as Poe Dameron, Leia’s current second in command, speed devil and cat owner drove her to Luke Skywalker’s last known residence in the heart of the Yavin Jungle, two hours from the edge of Coruscant. Poe could navigate the confusing mess of Coruscant’s roads like nobody’s business, the fact that he drove _fast_ was usually overlooked.

“Why not?” Poe asked, his eyes shining bright with joy the way it always did when he drove fast enough. From the backseat, an orange tabby leaped out an on to Rey’s lap, pushing its face against Rey’s body like it was asking for affection. Rey gave BB-8 a good scratch and rub—Poe’s familiar was just as friendly as its owner.

“Because! Five years ago I was rummaging through garbage to eat, and now I’m supposed to just _find_ Luke Skywalker? There have to be better Seekers. Older Seekers that Leia knows! She is the Head of a House, she has to know better Seekers.”

“You’re thinking too much,” Poe said, shaking his head and rolling down the window as they shot through the highway. His dark curls blew in the breeze, and Rey (in a rare moment of vanity) would have given anything to have a lush head of hair like his. “And Leia trusts you because Finn can’t shut his yap about you when you’re not around. I should be jealous, but really, I agree with him.”

Rey sighed. She loved Finn like the brother she never had, and wouldn’t give him up for anything, but sometimes she just wanted to strangle him.

“Especially after what happened two years ago,” Poe added darkly.

Rey squirmed in her seat, because really, she should know better than to complain to a shapeshifter. It was one of the rarest of magical abilities, shapeshifting, and only very few families of specific roots could shift into animals. House Dameron was one of those families, and Poe could shape shift into a Bengal tiger. Two years ago, a bad injury caused Poe to forget he was human and had attacked on sight, terrified and half-mad because he couldn’t keep himself in check. House protocol deemed it fit to kill Poe like he was an ordinary animal with rabies, but Finn was not going to let that happen to the man he loved.

Rey was the only one who managed to find Poe hiding out in an empty warehouse, where (of all things) an orange cat had been the one to bring him back. So they named the cat BB-8 after the name and number of the warehouse where Rey found him, and Poe came home. House Dameron changed their rules since then.

“Thank you, Poe,” Rey said. “But in this instance, I’m not sure the vote of confidence is valid.”

He pushed down and the brake and the car skidded to a screeching halt.

“I’m looking forward to the day when I hand you a beer and tell you ‘I told you so,’” he said with that utterly charming smile of his like he knew all of the answers to the universe’s questions. “Now go. Take BB-8 with you. I have to help with an evacuation over on House Baylor property. Fingers crossed that it goes well and that guy doesn't come in and help."

"What guy?" Rey asked, only half-listening. "'Luke Skywalker'?

"Please don't tell me you believe that, or else your job should be done," Poe rolled his eyes. "On like the last three drops and evacs where the First Order comes in, there's always this huge guy who comes in and pulls the civilians out. We were betting teleport magic, but there are only so few registered teleport mages in Coruscant, and most of them are with the First Order."

"It sounds like this guy is helping you out."

"The other day, First Order fire mages showed up when we were trying to bring in relief goods for the underground city. They had an aegis with them, and we couldn't break through. But this guy shows up and a whole wall just _collapses_ on him," Poe shuddered. "I hate not knowing who it is, or what side they're really on. And I have to admit, I hate it when someone steals my thunder."

Rey rolled her eyes.

"I should be back in an hour.”

“We’ll be waiting,” Rey chirped. "I hope your mysterious stranger shows up!"

BB-8 meowed contentedly in her arms as Poe gave her a little wink, reversed, and sped off.

Sometimes Rey imagined she should be doing something as important as Poe and Finn and the rest of her friends—dedicating their lives to a cause, swearing loyalty to Houses that made sure they were well taken-care of. But swearing loyalty to a House just didn’t sit well with Rey. She’d been too used to living alone, being born into nothing.

Leia probably chose her for this assignment because she was expendable.

BB-8 meowed softly and Rey pulled herself out of her funk.

“You’re totally right,” she said, putting the cat down on the ground. “Let’s go find Luke Skywalker.”

They approached the house, although it didn’t sound accurate. It was more like a burnt out castle, already half-taken over by the jungle. A chill ran down Rey’s spine, and BB-8 pressed up against her like it wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t even have to touch the stones to know that something _very_ wrong had happened here.

The castle was big enough to have housed at least twenty people. Whatever wasn’t burned was taken over by jungle, and there was barely anything left here to see. Rey touched one of the that remained on the structure, taking a deep breath to steel herself—but there was nothing. As if she wasn’t touching anything at all. How odd. Stones were always the best at storing memories, she found, which was probably why mages still used them to enhance their rituals. But here, everything was silent. Whatever Luke Skywalker left here, he made sure nobody else would find him.

Well. If it was easy, Leia wouldn’t have asked Rey to do it.

She looked though everything anyway, being a former scavenger taught her the value of being thorough, and still. Nothing. Any memory that was left here had been wiped, and Rey wondered if it was because someone wanted to keep the memories buried, or something so horrible had happened here that the stones and the remains kept their silence, refusing to share it.

A shudder ran down Rey’s spine.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Rey told BB-8, who decided the proper response was to lick their paw.

* * *

He was sitting in front of his door. Leaning against it, really, his long legs played out into the hallway like he had no idea what they were for. How was Kylo getting away with this? Did their neighbors know that 'Matt the Radar technician' was actually a killer? Why was nobody sounding the alarm, or as afraid as Rey was?

She was debating whether to poke him or call him. But then he groaned, a low, haunting sound. He was in pain.

“Are you okay?” Rey asked, setting aside her bag to kneel in front of him, touching his arm. Kylo flinched and groaned, his head lolling to the side as she pulled away from her.

“Relax,” Rey told him, trying to look for blood, because she could definitely smell it. “We should go to your place.”

“No,” he said right away, trying to get away, but she pulled him back.

“My place, then. I think I still have bacta patches.”

They were her emergency bacta patches, especially purchased for when things went haywire at work (which was often). Magically treated by medical mages, bacta did not come cheap. But Rey wasn’t about to let anyone, even Kylo Ren start dying in her hallway, not like this.

Kylo grumbled again, but Rey managed to unlock her door, get him up and drag him through her threshold.

“Your place is tiny,” he complained as she lay him on the couch. She realized his side was injured, a weird looking injury—like it had been cauterized just as it happened. A fireplace poker? Flaming sword? Whatever. Rey knew it wasn’t good, at any rate.

“Do you want to tell me what happened? Maybe that will distract you from the pain,” Rey suggested, heading to her first aid kit to keep it close to hand.

“Fire mage,” he explained, grunting as he tried to sit up. “One of Snoke’s. Refused to die, so I killed him."

"Oh."

"Now would be the appropriate time to drop the bandages and run.”

Rey ignored him and ripped the side of his shirt to reveal more of the wound, and Kylo grunted. Good.

“I figured you were on the bad side,” she told him, checking the wound to make sure it was clean.

“There’s no bad or good in a war, sweetheart, only causes and old men dangling them in our faces,” he snorted. “Magic rises. The weak fall. Darth Vader said that. Simple. Elegant.”

“And yet one of us is lying on the couch with a burning torso.”

“Are you going to try to save me?” he asked her. “Heal me then use me to your advantage? Some non-magical people did that when I was a child. Kidnapped me and then tried to use me.”

“That sounds...awful,” Rey said, and it was true. “Are you usually this vulnerable when you’re injured?”

“Had to walk back. Might have hit it a little to keep me awake. Need to talk to stay conscious.”

“Ah. Excellent strategy,” Rey murmured, trying her hardest not to amend that with ‘excellent abs’, which had peeked out from the side of his torn shirt. She quickly reminded herself that she was on a job. Find Luke Skywalker. Find out what Kylo Ren is up to. There had been nothing there about ogling him.

“Ow,” he groaned as Rey slapped the patch on his side, pressing it down with magic. These worked best with med mages, of course, but any kind of magic would do in an emergency.

“Such a big baby,” Rey grumbled.

“What’s your name?” He asked, already settling as the bacta, quite literally, worked its magic, making him drowsy. “If we’re going to be neighbors, I’d like to know.”

“Why should I tell you? You tell everyone your name is Matt,” She argued, snorting. “Which is a ridiculous name.”

“I’ve heard worse. Armitage comes to mind.”

“You are so...weird.”

“Still your neighbor.”

Yes, yes he was. Rey had never really had a friendship with her neighbors, sure they smiled politely at each other, but in this part of Coruscant you could only trust yourself. And here was Rey, trusting a war dog.

But it made her feel a little less lonely, caring for someone like this.

Even if that someone was a murderer?

Rey shook herself out of the haze of connection. She hated that she still got so easily attached to other people, inanimate objects. One would think an orphan abandoned to a horrible foster parent and the streets would have known better than to feel _anything_ for Snoke’s hitman.

Did he had anything to do with the takeover of House R’iia? How many had he hurt, killed with just a wave of his hand?

“Why are you here, Kylo?” She finally asked, assuming he was already asleep.

“Options are limited for someone who escaped the First Order,” he said, behind closed eyes.

She nearly dropped whatever it was she was holding. Did he just say...he had. He’d escaped the First Order.

“Rey,” she said gently. “My name is Rey.”

“Rey,” he nodded. “That’s nice. Ben Solo.”

“Solo?”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Surprise surprise, Ben was gone the next morning. Rey supposed she was lucky he hadn’t tried to attack her that night, but she really should think a _little_ better of him. She supposed she should be more scared, but oddly enough, she wasn’t. Partly because Poe had confirmed that the mysterious guy had shown up at the drop, engaging in a fight with the fire mage long enough for Poe and his people to get away.

Kylo Ren was the mysterious stranger everyone thought was Luke Skywalker. The mysterious stranger was Ben Solo.

A quick Internet search told Rey everything she needed to know. Sites mentioned Leia and shipping magnate/smuggler Han Solo had a son, Ben, who at age 3, was kidnapped by The Church of Vader, hoping he would be the key to them getting magic. Then the next few bits were of Kylo Ren’s sudden rise to the ranks, standing by Snoke’s side for every move.

Now he was on the run from the First Order, and Leia was looking for his uncle. What was the connection? Why had he left Snoke?

She had to find out. Maybe he would have the answers she needed.

Rey crept to his door. The doorknob was oddly mum this time on if the room was occupied, or if Ben had left. With a bit of encouragement, a hairpin and persuasion, Rey figured out how to press on the tumblers of the lock to open the door. She took two steps into the apartment when she felt everything freeze into place, her hands lock at her sides as strong, aggressive magic seized her.

Forking shirt, she was standing on a circle. Anyone who had any magical ability knew circles were carefully drawn chalk patterns used to enhance magic. First level users could draw perfect circles and patterns with their eyes closed. Kylo Ren’s circle was the strongest Rey had ever encountered, weighing her down on the floor.

“What the—“ she struggled, but it only seemed to make the magic bind her tighter.

There was a commotion from the back, and there was Kylo Ren (Ben. He’d said his name was Ben), staring at her like he couldn’t decide if he was shocked or angry.

“That circle,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Was put up only to be active in case of a break in.”

“I figured.”

“Why were you trying to break in? Good neighborly conduct?” He sneered, and she noticed his fingers tense at his sides. He was controlling the circle from outside it, a show of his strength if anything. Rey could almost see him magic, crackling and sparking around him like uncontrolled lightning.

"Tell me who sent you."

The magic pulsed, and Rey's knees slammed on the floor. She had no doubt Kylo could take her on a good day, but this, with the circle in place and his rage smoldering around her? She was toast.

"Tell me!"

She watched that, watched Kylo pace around his small space like a cat. It was a comfort to her that she knew there was no way he could force himself into her mind--no matter how many buildings he could crush, what he could do to her, he just didn't have the ability.

"Is this Ben Solo, or Kylo Ren I'm talking to?" Rey managed to grit out with her teeth. Magic pulsed, his magic, and Rey's hands clamped tight to her sides, and she had to keep herself upright. "Or maybe its the mysterious stranger?"

How unfair that his apartment was bigger than hers, when he put nothing in it. No clothes strewn about, no photographs or mementos, not even scavenged furniture. Just an empty space with the most bare essentials.

Maybe he really was on the run from the First Order. And Rey was going to die.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, standing over her, his voice suddenly, oddly gentle. “I feel it too.”

He was Leia's son. Her heart clenched, fear churning with wild curiosity. Leia's son, who wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he felt like he had to. She wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Rey slowly released her magic. The circle was growing bright purple tendrils and flowers, curling around the lines of the circle, clamping it down. With a push, Rey commanded her own arms free, and they did.

"What are you doing," he said, taking a step back. "What—“

Rey honestly didn't know. She'd certainly never had to exhaust this much effort on a circle before, and it was more because she never learned. But she found that her magic could clamp down on his, and shock of shocks, she could push him right back.

The circle began to glow bright violet, then pulsed to a warm purple light. Vines and leaves started to grow, and Rey slammed her hands on the circle, pushing back against Kylo, who was putting up a valiant effort to keep her there. She could see something in his magic--a string she could pull.

So Rey yanked it. Hard.

Pain exploded in her head as memories slammed into her. Everything Ben Solo had seen and experienced-- _warm hugs from his mother, soft but distracted smiles from his father turned into his uncle's wide, terrified eyes._

_He was so lonely._

And there was the voice. Dark and malevolent, but oh so seductive. Telling him that his family didn't understand him. That he would never be understood, that his power was too great to be kept at bay.

_Then there was the power, running through her veins. His veins. The grandson of Darth Vader, the greatest telekinetic of all time, was afraid. He'd gone too far. He couldn't do this anymore. He had to leave._

_'Come home, Ben.'_

Rey opened her eyes, screaming. She was lying on her back, still in the circle, but the magic was gone. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her whole body felt like lead.

She sat up slowly, just in time to catch Ben Solo kneeling on the floor in front of her, his eyes wide.

"You're afraid," she told him, her voice shaking slightly.

"Get out," he snarled at her. "Get _out_."

She opened her mouth to say something, and he changed tactics.

"I saw into your mind too. I know who you are, seeker.“

She didn't need to be told twice. She fled, slamming the door closed behind her.

Rey's legs turned to jelly the moment she reached her apartment, and she slid down the wall that connected her apartment to Kylo's, and she found herself crying. For her own loneliness, for him, for Han Solo, Leia, and for whatever it was that had just happened between them.

And in her mind, if she felt him reach across the wide void of her mind and touch her hand, well, she wasn't going to tell anyone about it.

* * *

“Something’s wrong,” Finn announced, narrowing his eyes at Rey two days later. At their feet, a porg was munching on the shortbread crumbs they were dropping on the floor. Apparently one of the animal mages called out for assistance in Illenium, and a flock (a conglomeration? a gaggle?) of porgs, creatures found only on the island of Ach-To appeared in the manor four weeks later. The animal mage, Chewbacca didn’t need them anymore, but didn’t have the heart to send the poor things back, so they were now permanent residents of the manor, and unofficial mascots of House Organa-Solo. Leia joked that she would soon replace the crest with them.

One porg in particular flopped over to Rey, pulling at the laces of her boots with its teeth.

They were at Ileenium, the heart of House Organa-Solo’s base of operations, and Rey was supposed to meet with Leia to share her progress on her search for Luke.

“Aside from the fact that I’m going nowhere with my investigation?” She asked him. “I’m fine.”

“Did Kylo do something to you?” He whispered. Rey made him and Rose swear up and down that they weren’t going to tell anyone that Kylo was living next to her. Not until she figured out what he was doing. “Rey. Tell me that bastard didn’t—“

“No,” Rey said quickly. “I haven’t seen him.”

It was the truth. She hadn’t seen him since the incident with the circle, but she still had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that he was never too far away. She refused to call it anything other than that, because to call it properly was to call it yearning, and Rey didn’t _yearn_ for him. Jeez.

“Don’t you think it’s odd that the First Order hasn’t declared him an enemy?” Finn asked. “Because they would be the kind to do that. I’m technically listed as Traitor, which I bear proudly.”

“I think the First Order is all about keeping appearances, and they don’t want to show the appearance that their second in command just walked away from them,” Rey snorted, because she knew enough about house politics to know that the appearance of power was just as important as actually having it. “I wonder why he did, though.”

Finn stilled, and Rey narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t need mind reading powers to know that he was hiding something from her.

“Well?” She asked him. “Are you going to tell me?”

“Rey, he killed his father six weeks ago.”

Rey’s stomach dropped. Suddenly what she saw made sense. The pain in Ben’s heart, his father’s choked voice, the touch of his hand. The scar on his face was when Ben ran away from Snoke, and now he was in hiding. But why? Why not go back to Leia? Why not do _something_ instead of staying here?

“It was during one of our ops, we were trying to take down Snoke's comms. Kylo showed up, and Han...he needed to talk to his son. The next thing we know he’s ten feet in the air, choking."

Rey's entire body shook. That had to be terrifying, and she hadn't even been there.

"That’s one of the reasons why Leia needs to find Luke,” Finn looked uncomfortable as he told her this. “He and Han were friends. He needs to know that his nephew is a monster.”

“I have to go,” Rey said suddenly, standing up from the sitting room. “I have to…"

“Rey, whatever it is, it’s not worth it,” Finn insisted, standing up and grabbing her shoulders. “He’s evil. He’s powerful, and he can crush you without a thought if he wanted to.”

Rey’s entire body thrummed, and she didn’t recognize the emotion. Anger? She never got angry. And yet she was so aware that it wasn’t her own.

“I’ve been living next to him for two weeks,” she told Finn. “If he wanted to crush me, he would have done it already. Please extend my apologies to Leia, I’ll come see her when she’s available again. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

She knew he didn’t, and the only reason he didn’t was because he cared too much about her.

Rey hopped down the garage where she left her bike, and she found a porg perfectly nestled in her helmet, warbling slightly as it slept.

“Really?” Rey asked, carefully scooping up the creature and considering returning it to the house. But the little thing just turned over and continued sleeping like nothing was asleep. “I think I have someone for you to meet,” Rey said, tucking the porg into the front of her jacket before she put on her helmet and sped back to the apartment.

Somehow she knew he was there. What had happened the other day, with her powers...she’d never been able to do that before. Rey’s magic was so dismal it was almost just a quirk, but what she did, dismantling the circle, mind reading? She shouldn’t be able to do that.

She shuddered just thinking about it.

“Ben?” She asked, knocking on her door because she knew he was inside. “It’s Rey. I need to talk to you.”

The porg woke up, almost at the moment Rey said Ben’s name, peeping its head up from her jacket and looking around with big, bleary eyes, as if to ask “are we there yet?”

Invisible hands unlocked and slowly opened the door. Rey felt a gentle, almost warm push on her back and she walked inside, and the door closed behind her. Ben was sitting crossed legged on the floor, a cup of tea in his hand and a serious look on his face. He reminded Rey so much of his mother she had to bite her lip to keep from saying anything.

“What?” He asked irritably.

“Where did you get tea? Where did you even get a cup?” Rey looked around the empty room.

“Took one of yours,” he lied, shrugging. Such minuscule movements from a boy with such an expressive face. “Here to arrest me for grand cup larceny?”

He was also as hilarious as a box full of porgs. Really. Should Rey laugh out loud now, or were there better jokes ahead? She doubted it.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about what happened two days ago,” Rey said, sitting across from him.

“Your jacket is moving.”

She rolled her eyes and unzipped the front of her jacket, and she had to admit, she enjoyed the look on surprise on Ben’s face as the porg hopped out and immediately accosted him.

“What the hell...”

“It’s a porg. It likes you. Now about yesterday.”

“It’s trying to climb me.”

“Ben!” Rey snapped her fingers, and his reaction was instantaneous. All humor and mirth was gone in his eyes, just a serious look that was just a little bit angry.

“You ran from the First Order because of your father,” she said gently, and her heart clenched with pain that didn’t belong to her. "I saw it, I felt it, you...you didn't want to kill him. You loved him."

“I killed Ben Solo. The old man had to follow.”

“You still believe that?”

Silence.

“Why did you come here?” She asked him. Then porg was now squeezing the top of its head under the hand on Ben’s lap, demanding affection. Rey’s eyes threatened to bug out of her face when Ben gave in to the porg and pat it on the head once, twice, awkwardly.

“Illenium is five minutes from here,” he said, saying the name with grit teeth, like the name itself was hard to pronounce. "House Organa Solo has never really been an advocate of high tech, and they use the same frequencies I spliced long ago when I was a child. So I hear everything--where they're evacuating the families and how, if they have wrong information about the First Order's next strikes. Then I go out and help."

"Help who?"

"Whoever's trying to save someone," Ben shrugged. "A war is a war, but putting those not involved away from the fire is fair enough. Let the old guard kill themselves off."

"That's your mother you're talking about."

"She wasn't my mother when she handed me off to Luke Skywalker to try to tamp down the midichlorians in my body," Ben told her, his calm demeanour betrayed by the flash of anger and hurt in his eyes as he said this. "Parents sent their kids off to Luke all the time, in an effort to 'control' them. Hoping Luke would use what my grandfather taught him to cool our heels until they needed more magic. But Luke had always been a fan of the mental approach—meditation, breathing, constant practice, wax on, wax off."

"And you didn't like that?" Rey asked, because that kind of structure actually sounded...nice to her. To wake up and know exactly what you were going to do the very next day felt closely like belonging, and god only knew how much she craved that.

"No," Ben snorted. "But that was a long time ago. I don't expect to be forgiven for what I did to my father, but everything else...I can at least make proper apologies in a sad attempt to save my soul.“

He pushed the porg away a little, only for the creature to come back, plop itself on his lap and fall into the space he made with his crossed legs. Rey watched him watch the porg, and she wondered why for someone who was supposed to be free of the shackles of the First Order, Ben Solo still looked as haunted as ever.

"You need to find Luke Skywalker too," she concluded, and he nodded.

"I will end up killing him or dying in the attempt," he admitted. "And then...there's you."

"Me?" Rey almost squeaked, falling backward on her hands.

"I didn't expect you," he admitted, putting his teacup aside and standing to his full height, even more impressive from where Rey was sitting on the floor. "I thought there was something funny about my neighbor giving me cookies."

"Which I notice, you didn't share."

"I don't share," he grinned. “First magic users have died from trying to break out of a circle like the one I drew, and yet you managed to do it. Who are you?"

"I'm nobody," she said immediately, and Ben lowered himself to meet her eyes, balancing on the balls of his feet to look right into Rey's eyes like she held all of the answers to the universe, like she was the balm to his tortured soul.

He’d seen her memories, she remembered. He knew why she thought she was nobody, how she was cast aside with magic that she didn’t fully understand.

"Not to me," his voice was gentle, and he lifted a hand close to her face, and waited. Ben was waiting for her to say something, anything.

But Rey could only open her mouth and nod.

His hand met her cheek, and her magic sang within her. She'd never felt like this before, not in the lazy one night tumbles she had when the felt the strongest of sexual urges, not when she was happy with her friends. Nothing made the magic in her blood sing like Ben's hand on her face.

"Ben," she said, her voice a plea on her lips. But what she was asking for, she didn't really know.

"Rey," he answered, and she just had about enough of this. Rey took his face in her hands and kissed him. And she was aware that they were both spectacularly bad at this, tongues and teeth colliding in the ways of those who didn't really know what they were doing.

But oh Rey loved it.

Ben advanced, and she fell backward, letting him block out the light by just the sheer size of him, as his hands roamed her body, exploring, feeling. A moan escaped her as Ben lightly nipped at the skin on her neck.

Ben's hand travelled down to her breast, finding the mound and squeezing it, feeling for her nipples until they peaked and begged for his attention. Rey moaned again and her hips rose on their own accord, colliding with him so well that all she wanted was _more._ More of this, more of him.

She pressed a hand against the bulge in his pants, and Ben groaned like it was the most delicious thing. He arched agaist her, his erection nudging between her legs as desire pooled between Rey’s legs. When was the least time she was touched like this? Worshipped like this?

“I want to make you come,” he said roughly into her ear, pressing a hard kiss at the base of her neck, his hands still on her breasts. “I want to give you pleasure, Rey.”

 _Yes_ , her mind screamed. _Yes please._

Rey felt something tugging at the hem of her jeans, and she looked down just in time to see the porg flapping its wings and aggressively trying to pull her pants down. She had no idea if the creature was trying to help or to stop them.

"Your porg is watching," Rey pressed her hands to Ben's face and laughed as Ben turned around, seeing the creature. He lifted his hand, and for a sick moment, Rey thought he was going to kill the poor bird, but instead, the porg gently floated in the air without so much as a wobble, showing off Ben's perfect control of his power.

The flightless bird floated over Rey's head and in front of his face, and he stared at the creature dead in its huge eyes.

"Shoo," he told it, setting it down gently on the floor as Rey laughed. She moved her hands to hold his arms, her face still felt warm and her lips felt swollen, but this was enough for now. They would have time for more things later on.

"You're going to help me find Luke Skywalker," she said, and it wasn't a question or an order. It was a fact. Like it or not, it was her job to find him, and Ben wanted his...revenge? His own death? Rey wasn't sure.

He looked down at her, just as breathless and awestruck as she was.

"Yes," he said. "And I know where to start."


	4. Chapter 4

This time, in the interest of safety and a bit more understanding than she would get from Poe or Finn, Rey told Rose what she was doing. Rose, who was currently both fixing her microwave and making breakfast while Rey watched with fascination as her appliances all just seemed to hum when Rose was around.

Her friend, usually so quiet when she wasn't the most fierce of them all, was happy where she was, finding out what makes something tick, and feeding other people.

"Do you want your eggs with ham or cheese?"

"Both?"

"Good choice," Rose nodded, turning to hand Rey a warm plate that had more omelette than should be possible with the number of eggs she put in the pan. “Also, the thing you just told me? Bad decision."

"Really?" Rey sighed, midway between scarfing down the eggs and breathing.

"I know you...understand him, but that doesn't magically erase everything Kylo Ren did," Rose continued, and she made an excellent point, as always. "He's complicated, and you can't trust him, even if you can break him."

"I don't think I--"

"Yes. You can," Rose insisted, putting down her own plate of food. “First magic users take years to perfect their circles. They can draw them without compasses and rewrite the most complicated of symbols from memory. It’s personal, so you don't just 'take over' it if you were a Three mage, which I know you think you classify as."

"I didn't have any reason to think otherwise," Rey pointed out.

"Just because your magic isn’t active, doesn't make you a Three,” Rose was almost lecturing her on Magic 101, and really, Rey should have known better. "Magic isn't just one ability and that's it. It's your blood and your hertiage, your capacity for it. And you read Kylo Ren's mind. That's not a Three."

Rey chewed on her eggs, still thinking. But then his words came back to her. _I'm nobody._

_But not to me._

"Okay," she conceded. "Something...woke up inside me when I tried to break his circle. And I don't know what to do about it, Rose. Be—Kylo said that Luke Skywalker used to be able to help young kids temper their powers, learn how to use them properly with training and exercise. All the more reason for me to go with Kylo. If he knows how to find Luke."

Rose wrinkled her nose at her, and Rey realized that was the exact face she had whenever a machine was being particularly stubborn. She'd heard Rose say it before 'machines are _way_ easier to understand than people. True. Mostly because Rey couldn't really understand herself right now.

"Fine," Rose sighed. "Go with him. But please, be careful? It's not your job to fix everyone's problems."

"When have I—“

"Unkar Plutt asked you to find the car he'd stolen, and he didn't intend to pay you. And everyone knows you bring wounded animals for Chewie to fix up," Rose pointed out, pointing a screwdriver at her. "Just exercise caution, that's all I'm asking. I would hate to sic Finn on Kylo Ren when we realize you've been hurt."

"Poe's the tiger."

"Oh trust me," Rose shook her head. "When it comes to you, Finn's got sharper claws than Poe will ever have."

So before she left, Rose gave Rey a tracker bracelet with a distress beacon, just so she knew that Rey was safe, gave her friend a tight hug and a promise not to tell Finn what she was up to until the very _last_ minute, and left.

Ten minutes later, Rey showed up at Ben's door. The only thing she had was determination and pride, and two cups of coffee. But the way Ben's face lit up at the sight of her made her feel like he would burn the whole world just to keep her warm.

"Let's go.”

* * *

He had a car.

It wasn’t a new car, and it wasn't at all impressive, but Rey knew YT-1300s like these were so rare that this one shouldn't still be running. It looked clunky but still sleek, and had the kind of doors that opened up instead of to the side. It was a car that Rose would have loved to get her hands on.

But there was more to the car than met the eye.Rey could tell it was bulletproof, and one touch on the hood let her know that Ben was just as fast a driver as her or Poe, except with a much heavier car like this, that he managed to take control was amazing.

But that wasn’t the only thing the cars memories showed.

“This...this is Unkar Plutt’s car,” She told him.

Ben snorted, sliding in to the driver’s seat. “Plutt stole it from House Kanja, who stole it from Han Solo. Then I stole it from him when I escaped the First Order complex.”

Rey wanted to make a joke about stealing a dead man's car, decided against it when she saw BS clumsily scratched on to the passenger side dashboard. Ben glanced at it.

"He was outside, taking forever on a deal, and I was bored," she shrugged. Rey touched the initials, and saw the determined face of a little boy, mischief in his eyes as he scrawled his name.

_Then Han Solo gets in, takes one look at his son's handiwork and grins._

_"Making your mark, kid?"_

Pride seeped into his voice, so strong that Rey could still feel it emanating from the spot she touched.

"Where are we going?" Rey asked, as they pulled away from the garage.

"Naboo," Ben said without any emotion, his eyes focused on the road. One had to be on high alert when driving in Coruscant, with all the magic manifesting in the city, the roads crumbled or veered off to completely different directions when they felt like it. But if you knew where you were going, knew what you were doing, it was easy enough to drive. "Thats where Luke and my mother were born. Grandfather kept some notes and maps there, and Luke was fascinated with them. I would imagine if there's anything to find, it'll be there."

"He can wipe memories from things," Rey frowned. "His school in Yavin...it was like nothing had ever been there."

"He's always been a bit paranoid," Ben shrugged. "I tried...I just really wanted his help, his wisdom, but, he was scared. My magic, he said he'd only seen it in his father before, and decided I was beyond help. Snoke is a telepath, he could speak to me before I even realized I was listening. He said he could help me. He could teach me things, and I believed him."

His voice trailed off, lost in a shadow of memories so fleeting that Rey could barely see them.

"Not that I blame Snoke, or Luke," Ben said quickly. "It's just..."

"Easier to say than accepting the truth," Rey nodded. "That what happened to you was your own fault, that you made the wrong choices."

“I don’t think you’ve made a wrong choice in your life, Rey.“

“You saw my memories differently than I do,” Rey's emotions twisted and roiled, as they always did whenever she talked abut her family. "I don't even know if they were part of a House, what they did, what they looked like. But I remember them telling me that they would come back. I would touch walls of the first place I remember--a dark old house, and I would hear their voices, asking me to wait. But I couldn't."

"You can't spend your life waiting for them," Ben disagreed. "In this case, the choice you made was the right one."

"I live alone, I have this magic I can't understand, and I'm in a Corellian YT-1300 with Kylo Ren. I'm not sure I made the right choice."

She grinned at him, and for once, Ben seemed to have heard the sarcasm in her voice and gently laughed.

"She's called the Falcon, and in House Organa Solo, we will not accept any other name otherwise," He said. His hand somehow find hers as they drove. Rey's emotions, so far completely on overdrive for this trip, had cooled instantly, almost like when she collapsed into bed at the end of a long day.

"When we find Luke," Rey said gently, because they would. "I have to tell Leia."

"I know," Ben nodded. “If I don’t make it…”

“Does it really have to be him or you?”

“Yes,” he said, and there was no room for argument there.

* * *

Six hours later, Rey could see Naboo rising in the distance. Coruscant had taken over most of the land space, but Naboo, a sovereign state, was safely in the north. It was the place where asylum seekers usually fled, where the elites of Coruscant vacationed. Rey had never been there, and Ben didn’t look like he was looking forward to it, either.

Naboo was one of the few places that survived the magic wars following Anakin Skywalker’s death, mostly because it was the home of Padme Amidala, his wife. Naboo used to be run by an elected queen, but since the Naberrie family had a female First for every generation, they had ruled since.

“Are you trying to tell me that you’re part prince?” Rey asked, her mouth slightly gaped open.

“No,” Ben bristled. “I _am_ a prince.”

“Oh COME ON.”

“My grandmother was the last truly elected Queen of Naboo, and my mother was adopted by the Royal Family of Alderaan when she died. She was called Princess Leia before House Palpatine and my grandfather destroyed her home.”

“A prince,” Rey laughed, shaking her head as they pulled up to a large house by the lake. “Should I bow? Kiss your feet?”

“How about a kiss on the lips instead?”

Rey felt her entire face burn, and it was such a new sensation to her. She’d never felt like this before. Sure her life had its moments of happiness, moments of love, but this was completely different. This seemed more important somehow, more significant. Like the universe was watching her and Ben and was still deciding if this was right.

Varykino seemed to breathe when they walked in, and light filled it. Even without touching anything, Rey knew it was a place that knew laughter and love, blocking out the darkness that threatened it. A man in a gold suit walked out to the living room and held his hands up in surprise when he saw Ben.

“Master Ben!” He exclaimed, walking clumsily toward them. “How lovely to see you. Artie and I were beginning to think you were never coming back to Varykino.”

Threepio, as he introduced himself to Rey, was very adamant that they stay the night at the lakeside estate.

“I was just thinking to myself that you would enjoy seeing the young princes and princesses practice their magic by the lake,” he chattered as he led Ben and Rey to a pair of rooms.

“Water mages,” Ben explained to Rey. “Both House Naberrie and Gunga are water mages, but some of the Gungas have been known to shift into water creatures. Also, I wouldn’t touch anything if I were you. Too many memories.”

“Not all good?” Rey assumed.

“This is where Anakin decided to mess with midichlorian counts when Padme got sick,” Ben pointed out. “Not all bad, but not all good, either.”

Rey’s room overlooked the lake, and they had reached the estate just in time for the sky to be streaked in pink and blue. The size of the bed, the canopies, and everything else faded away for her, all she needed was the sight of the lake filled her heart with joy. She realized she’d never seen a lake like this—so calm and so peaceful. It was a lake that had seen love and magic and shared it with anyone who came into its view.

“What am I doing here?” she asked, shaking her head. Then, almost like it had been waiting for her to settle down, her stomach rumbled. Rey only knew too well what it meant to miss a meal and go hungry, so now that she could afford to feed herself a little better, she never missed a meal.

She headed down to the kitchen, and was surprised to find Ben already sitting behind a counter, listening to a small man talking to him excitedly, practically bouncing around the walls as she did so.

"Is this her?" He asked, as Rey's foot hit the lowest step to the kitchen. Ben gave her a flash of a grin.

"That's her," he nodded, patting the empty seat next to him. "Hungry?"

"Famished," Rey lifted her shoulders. "My name is Rey, by the way."

"I know. And because this boy is completely bereft of manners, I'm Artoo," he said with a little bow, before he resumed whatever it was he was doing behind the stove. "I have grilled cheese and tomato soup, is that okay?"

"Very!" Rey sat next to Ben, and tried not to notice that he looked mildly horrified at the way she ate, almost slurping the hot soup, chewing and talking to Artoo. Rey glared at him.

"Don't say anything," she told Ben.

"I didn't think it was wise to," he shrugged. "You have a little.."

"What?" Rey recoiled as he raised his hand.

"Tomato soup," he continued, waiting for her nod before he swiped the errant soup from the bottom of her lip and putting it in his mouth. "Mmm. This is your best one yet, Artoo."

“When was the last time you came here?” Rey asked, trying to look away from those dangerous eyes of his. What was she doing, playing couple retreat with Kylo Ren in Naboo? She was on a job. She was working for _his mother._ Rey was a professional, she had to regain control of this.

“Too long,” Ben shook his head. “Christmas, I think. Two years before I went to Luke. Dad gave me a book on writing circles that he apparently stole from an old university library. Then I practiced. All over the house. My mother was _not_ happy.”

Rey chuckled.

“Like I said, not all memories here were bad,” he shrugged.

“Anakin’s study is locked," Ben announced. "I figured I would break down the door, but it’s got a ward.”

“Really?” Rey said, fascinated. She’d never encountered a warded door before. People with aegis abilities were rare, and people paid top dollar for their wards and their protection. But she would assume that the Skywalkers would be able to procure the service of an aegis without any problem. "You can't break it?"

"I'm telekinetic, my magic only affects matter," he shrugged like it didn't bristle him one tiny bit. "Like this."

Rey yelped a little as her stool slid across the kitchen counter, putting her solidly next to Ben. He was warm, and the dark blue sweater he had on was soft and comfortable. Rey moved away from him.

"See. Matter."

"Okay," Rey tried to pretend like it wasn't the smoothest thing anyone had ever done to her and she was choking in a good way. "Can we...call someone? Another aegis?"

"No need. I have a feeling you can break it," Ben said seriously. "With the right circle, you can do it. I could teach you."

"Me?" Rey scoffed, scrambling off her chair. "No, no way. I have object memory, that's all."

"Object memory isn't your power, it's an effect of your magic," Ben pointed out, following her out of the kitchen and into an anteroom. Rey had no idea where they were going, but she just knew she had to get away from this. "You have so much magic, Rey! It's going to be a waste not to try and discover it."

"Ben, I don't want to!" She exclaimed, whirling around to face him. "What I did back in your apartment--that scared the shirt out of me."

"Scared the--"

"Magic comes from your blood, your family. Well, I don't have a family. I've tried for so long to find them, and I couldn't so now I don't know what I am."

"Rey. You know what you are."

"That's not why we came here!"

"No, we came here because my mother thinks Luke Skywalker can lead the rebellion against the First Order," Ben snorted, rolling his eyes. "She'll be disappointed."

"Because you're doing such a stellar job? Hiding behind the mask, letting people _think_ you're Luke Skywalker?"

"And being Kylo Ren is better? I could never be seen with any rebellion, it would crumble right at the start! And this isn't about me, we were talking about you. You know deep down that your magic is more than you think. And maybe Luke Skywalker can come back and save the world. But you will never find out unless you try."

He pulled something from his pocket. A piece of chalk. Rey glared at it like it was the cause of all of her problems, the bane of her existence.

"I'll help you," he said gently, and Rey took the chalk from his hand, taking an even breath. How odd that she would find help and guidance from a man who should have terrified her.

They stopped in front of the door to the study, and Rey could almost see the bright red ward flickering at the edges of the door, wrapping around it like it like a ribbon.

"It looks strong," Rey remarked as Ben stood on one side of the door, facing her, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. Without waiting for his instruction, Rey drew a large circle on the floor.

"What the hell is that," Ben said, tilting his head to one side.

"It's a circle."

"It's an oblong. A child couldn't have mistaken that for a circle," he said, taking the chalk from her and waving his hand. The chalk disintegrated.

"That's a neat trick."

Without another word, Ben bent down, and effortlessly drew a perfect circle on the floor. Magic users way before Anakin Skywalker had put their knowledge in holocrons, all sealed with symbols. Scholars now found that certain symbols added certain effects to circles. The one Ben was making enhanced the abilities of the person inside, a general use sort of thing that Rey would have found in basic magic books.

"What's that?" Rey asked, pointing to a pyramid sort of shape on the floor. Ben finished and dusted his hands off.

"A Sith holocron symbol," he said darkly. "Used during the Magic Wars by my grandfather. It's supposed to enhance powers and reveal hidden things."

Rey swallowed thickly, but stepped into the circle anyway, taking a deep breath. She tapped into that part of herself where she magic was, and she realized what used to be a tiny little string in her was now a huge ball of nerves and power, ready to be pulled, twisted and knotted. She pulled at that string and the circle lit up, the symbols along with it. Just like it did at Ben's apartment, vines curled around the white chalk lines until they grew at Rey's feet. Bright points appeared in Rey's mind--Ben. The door. Herself.

She focused on the ward on the door, pulling at it. It refused.

"Come on," she wheedled it. "Open."

Nothing. Rey pushed deeper into herself, pulling out more magic. She saw Ben's eyes blown wide in surprise. She was completely glowing now, her hands covered with leaves and vines and flowers, ready to strike.

"Open!" She told the ward, and it moved, pulsed back at her before seemingly ignoring her again. Unacceptable.

_"Open!"_

Her voice came out low and dangerous, and magic burst forth out of her. The ward snapped and exploded, taking the door along with it. Ben fell to the ground, and Rey let go of the magic, feeling herself crashing back down into the reality around her.

The dust settled, and the door to Darth Vader's study was open. Rey shook from where she stood, dizzy and weak. But Ben was right there to help her stand.

"Shit, Rey, that was..." he said. "That was incredible. I've never seen anything like it."

She didn't know what else to say but, 'thanks.'

It took them all of five seconds in Anakin's study to find out where Luke went.

"He came here looking for a map, and he found it inside this holocron," Rey said, trusting the vision of the empty holocron in her hand. "It's where this one came from. He's on an island. Not too far from here. There are...oh my god."

"What," Ben said, looking nervous as he looked at Rey, who started laughing.

"Porgs," she shook her head. "There are porgs. Luke is in Ach-to."

Something crashed in the distance, and the both of them turned their heads in the direction of the sound. A strange chittering noise filled the air, and Ben’s eyes grew wide, his entire body tensing.

“Ben?” Rey asked. “What’s—“

“Get down!” Ben yelled, pushing Rey to the floor as a humanoid creature skittered on the ceiling and dropped down on them, snarling and hissing. Ben waved his arm and the creature flew back and crashed into a bookshelf. Ben grabbed her hand and started to run as more chittering sounds filled the air. Rey realized it wasn’t chittering at all, but the sounds of the undead crawling all over the house.

“This way!” Ben yelled, running down a corridor as the body pursued them. Rey picked up a bat leaning casually against some counter and swung at the creature’s face, sending it splattered with gross, purple blood on the wall.

“A necromancer? Really?” She yelled to Ben, who turned a sharp corner as books, paintings, chairs moved into the path they took deterring the bodies for a few precious seconds.

“House Hux,” he answered, heading up the stairs, presumably to keep the vampires away from Artoo and Threepio down in the kitchen. “And Armitage is a First.”

“Tell us where Skywalker is, Ren!” The vampires mouths opened and one voice emerged. “We know you know where he is, you traitor!”

“Of course he is,” Rey rolled her eyes, jerking her hand away from Ben’s to swing the bat again, getting a vampire away from him when he didn’t see it drop from the ceiling. “We have to get out of here.”

“I know, but how—“

A roar pierced the air. A bengal tiger leaped into Rey’s view, snapping its jaw, swiping and scratching a path to them.

“GO!” Poe’s human voice mixed with tiger’s roar as behind him, Finn came in with a gun, shooting. Rey’s eyes met his friend’s and his shock was evident, and she felt like she’d betrayed him utterly. Her heart broke a little, but there was nothing for it now.

Ben took her hand and they ran.


	5. Chapter 5

Nobody seemed more surprised than Ben that the Falcon was left intact.

They drove far, neither of them really talking after they agreed to stop in Mos Eisley, the last stop of cities before the port in the general direction of Ach-To. Rey didn’t feel much like trying to process what happened, and Ben seemed more paranoid than ever, looking over his shoulder, glaring at anyone who managed to glance their way.

He was brimming for a fight, and Rey didn’t know if it was smarter to stop him or just let him.

The cantina they ate in had a spare room, nothing much but a window and a single bed with a dinky little bathroom. The moment they got there, Ben seemed to overturn every corner, sweeping for bugs, cameras, tracking devices, anything. Everything that wasn’t bolted to the floor was shaking slightly at his simmering rage. Then he slammed his fist on the table, breaking it. Rey jumped.

“I’m sorry,” he said, cradling his fist to his chest. “I shouldn’t have—“

“Don’t apologize,” Rey sighed, shaking her head and wetting a towel to stop the swelling.

“Hux is the worst.”

“He is.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“I know.”

Later that evening, Rey realized she couldn't sleep. She couldn’t quite get the images of the vampires out of her head, their demand to lead them to Luke. Did Artoo and Threepio make it out of Varykino? Did Poe and Finn? Attacking that house was an act of war against Naboo, the Queen wouldn’t allow such a thing to slip by. Rey and Ben had just brought war to their door.

Rey pressed the heels of her hands against her closed eyes. Damn it. This had not been a part of the job description.

Refusing to be beaten by this, ignoring the weakness in her body--the magic she'd expelled today was no joke, and her now abandoned bat had been heavier than she thought—she grabbed one of the blankets with her and walked to the window, looking at the bright white moon smiling down at her.

She hummed a little, and old song her brain wouldn't let her forget.

"Can't sleep either?"

Rey looked up and saw Ben sitting up in bed, his upper body exposed in the light as he watched her. The wound she'd slapped bacta on the other day looked like it had healed, but it was sure to leave a scar, one of the many that marred the smooth skin of his body.

She swallowed thickly. She’d been pretending to sleep when he came to bed, and didn’t have a chance to look at him.

"No," she admitted. "I can't turn my brain off, but I'm exhausted."

"It's magic and adrenaline," he explained, pulling his feet close so he was now fully sitting up. "As you expel more magic, the body releases adrenaline, and it takes a while to get down from that high, even after you've finished."

"I need to sleep," Rey sighed. "None of that made any sense to me."

"Come here, sweetheart," he said in a soft voice. "I'll make you feel better."

"Is that a promise," Rey grumbled, but didn’t move, because Ben was already standing up to come to her. He hesitated for a second, waiting for her nod before he wrapped his arms around her. Rey pressed her forehead against his chest. Even just that felt like the tension in her was uncoiling, getting looser. It was the one thing that had surprised her the most, how affected she was by touch. But then again, how would you think to miss something you never really had? The cool of the night vanished, replaced by his warmth, reminding Rey of rainy mornings, the kind that made you want to stay in bed all day.

"It's a guarantee," he said, his hands moving down her neck, kneading the tight muscles underneath, alternating pressure. Rey was making sounds she didn't realize were humanly possible to come out of her own mouth, but here she was, luxuriating in the feel of his hands on her. He seemed to be listening out for her, adjusting pressure when it was too much, pressing deeper when she seemed to like it.

"Ohh," she moaned as his hands moved lower, down her spine to the base of her back. "Ben."

"Rey," he grinned, nuzzling his nose against the side of her face. He was grinning, she was sure, but she couldn't really see because she was lost in the sensation of her muscles relaxing under his touch.

"Kiss me," she nearly demanded, pressing her body against his insistently, enough to make it obvious that Ben Solo was not unaffected by this. Oh no. He was very affected indeed.

"As you wish," he responded and lowered his head to kiss Rey, hard and rough, all her entire body seemed fo sag in relief. What was it about two lonely things that finally met that was so beautiful? Just this kiss made her feel whole, like nothing in the world could hurt her again.

She should be stronger than this. She should be more resolute. But when she straddled Ben's hips in bed, her hands crushing his warm skin as she sought her release, she didn't care.

Ben's hips moved against hers, limited as his movements were, he didn't do anything until Rey said it was okay to do it, waiting for her permission to touch her breasts, tease her nipples, rub her clit while they moved together.

"Why do you keep asking me?" she asked between breathless motions, surprised that she could still form complete sentences at this point.

"I'm used to taking too much," he murmured into her skin as he sat up, sliding those magic hands down her spine to pull her closer. Rey tossed her head back and gasped. She was going to burst into flames, she knew it. She couldn't...couldn't... "Maybe one day I'll stop asking. But for now I want to make this good for you, Rey. Sweetheart. Fuck."

She had never come so hard in her entire life, and he followed her, lost in the sensation of their bliss as he emptied himself into her. Thank god the place they were staying was seedy enough that they had a condom available on the nightstand.

Tomorrow, she was either going to bring Luke back to Coruscant, or she was going to she would bring Ben in handcuffs back to his mother.

Such was the life of a Seeker.

When they were finished, exhausted and worn out, Rey pressed her ear into Ben's chest and heard the steady beating of his heart, closing her eyes. It was easy to forget that he didn't have one, mostly because he didn't believe it himself most days. But here it was.

"What?" Ben asked her when she told him.

"Proof that you have a heart," Rey told him. "It's small, but it beats just as strongly as it should."

Ben chuckled, a low, happy sound that Rey didn't hear enough.

"When we were in the study, I saw Vader's notes," he said. "He's always quoted for saying 'magic rises, the weak fall.' Snoke says it to his people all the time. It was what he said when he tried to cut my face in half."

Rey had seen the memory clear enough. Ben coming at Snoke with everything he had, pulling an entire building down on him, but Snoke still came charging at him with a dagger, of all things, and a veiled threat that he would never be as strong as his grandfather. That his father made him weak.

"But what he actually wrote was 'magic rises, and humanity to meet it.' Our magic comes from our blood, but what we decide to do with it, how we use it, that comes from how we look at the people around us. Do they matter?"

"They should," Rey said right away. "My friends, the people I love...they matter."

"And me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Rey rolled her eyes. "But you do."

She didn't look up, because she knew he was wearing the most smug expression humanly possible on his face.

"So please don't die tomorrow," Rey whispered. "Come home."

He sighed deeply, like she'd just asked the impossible from him.

"I'm a fugitive of the First Order and on the most wanted list in Coruscant," he told her. "I have no home, Rey."

"I used to say that too, you know," she said softly. "But I found home anyway."

Neither of them said much of anything after that. Rey knew there was nothing else she could say to convince him otherwise, and she wasn't ready to listen to him either.

So early the next morning, before the sun was even up, Rey opened her eyes. Ben was still asleep next to her, his arm over his eyes as he snored slightly. He looked so young when he was asleep like this, and it tore her heart in two to think that she was about to break his. She wanted to wake him up, tell him to stop being such an idiot, and come back with her to Coruscant. She wanted him to forgive himself, find a way back without shutting himself off or keeping himself in the dark.

But it wasn’t her place to do those things.

And Rey had always been good at waiting.

She kissed his cheek. She didn't know what it was--a goodbye, or a thank you. But as she took the maps from the study, the keys to the Falcon and drove toward the marina (this car was a piece of junk, but boy did it run fast), she wasn't about to look over her shoulder to find out.

Someone had once accused Rey of running when things got hard. But this wasn't running. Rey was making a decision. Even if that decision meant losing Ben altogether, she was going to do it. God help her, she really, really liked him.

* * *

Here was a fun thought. Rey Niima did _not_ like the ocean. Because the more she thought about it, the more she came to the conclusion that however big she thought the Coruscant was, how big the desert she used to live in was, none of that compared to the depth and breath of the ocean. It moved and buffeted, it swayed and pushed like nobody's business, and if she wasn't on a mission to save someone's life and finish her work, then she would _not_ have done this.

"Rey, where the hell are you?!" Finn's panicked voice crackled through the satellite phone the ship captain handed her. Somehow, even in the middle of nowhere, trust Finn to be able to find her. But she remembered that _look_ he gave her when she and Ben left Varykino, and felt her saliva lodge in her throat. “Rose told us where you were going.“

"Rose was not supposed to tell you that," Rey said, sure that Rose could hear her, because, who else would have figured out how to use the satellite phone?

"I'm sorry, he made me do it!"

“But are you guys okay?” Rey asked. “You and Poe?”

“Yes, we’re fine, we kicked zombie ass and made Hux _so_ mad,” Finn laughed. “Phasma was there too, but we left before she could twirl that scary ass weapon of hers.”

Phasma was probably the most dangerous human alive, with no House affiliation except to the First Order and no magic. Thank god Finn and Poe managed to escape.

“But Naboo took Hux’s attack as and act of war, and they’re officially joining the Resistance,” Rose added. “I heard Snoke chewed Hux out about that.”

“So it’s real,” Rey said. “All of it. The Resistance, the First Order. I really have to get Luke Skywalker now, don’t I.”

“Yeah, because apparently he’s not the guy who’s been showing up!”

"Rey, please tell me it's what I think it is," Poe's voice came through the comms. "Is Kylo Ren actually the mysterious stranger?"

"No way," Finn started.

"I don't think--" Rose added.

"Yes, it's him," Rey said to shut them both up. "He defected from the First Order. I left him in Mos Eisley, but he might come after me here.”

"After you, is he trying to hurt you?" Poe's voice was tinged with concern.

"No, no. It's complicated," Rey wanted to sob, but refused to do so when her friends, Ben and everything she loved was so far away. "But please tell Leia I'm seeing Luke soon. And that Han asked Ben to come home."

“Ben?” Poe asked.

Then she hung up, pressing the phone close to her heart like her friends could feel all the love and desperation she was sending their way.

Just as she gave her phone back to the ship captain, the engine shuddered. no, wait. The entire ocean seemed to shudder with a single thud.

“What is that?” She whipped her head behind her, where the captain of the small boat they were using to get to Ach-To looked absolutely terrified.

“I told you, this island has unimaginable horrors,” his face paled. “I warned you. Not even Darth Vader can help us now.”

Rey snorted, because she didn’t really think that was necessary, but when she turned around, she saw a fifty foot nightmare rising from the ocean. Salt water dripped out of its eyes and its mouth, and Rey wasn’t sure if those were scales or seaweed clinging on to its skin. The creature opened its mouth and roared, a horrible sound that made Rey shudder.

She glared back at it. She’d seen a lot of weird things in her lifetime, and she wasn’t about to let a giant swamp creature stop her.

The creature reached out, seemingly to grab her or the boat. Rey held on to the sides of the boat, trying to keep herself steady at the rocking of the ocean. She felt her magic prickling under her skin, begging to be unleashed. Rey didn’t know what she would do, what would happen. But oddly, in the back of her mind, she knew it would be fine. Ben’s low voice filled her head.

_“I’ll help you.”_

Glowing vines shot up from her feet, and Rey’s body grew warm with the surge of magic that she released. A string of light dangled around the creature, so bright that Rey couldn’t believe she’d missed it earlier.

So she grabbed both ends and pulled. The creature screamed, shocked at the intrusion. Rey pulled at the invisible strings on its wrists.

“ _Obey_ ,” she said, her magic thrumming as she said that. The creature roared, flailing its arms in protest, but Rey managed to hold on. How the hell was she doing this without a circle?

Her entire body shuddered as exhaustion crept in at the back of her mind, just in time. Not good. If Rey let go this monster would kill her, the captain and any of the small crew on the boat. Her eyes fluttered, her hands wavered, and her control was slipping. Her grip on the monster’s mind was becoming tenuous, and Rey desperately held on, trying to think of what to do when the roof of the captain’s room blew off the top and flew right into the creature’s slimy face, making the creature stagger backward.

Rey turned just in time to see Ben, his arms raised as he glared at the Loch-ness monster swatting at the debris. His control was perfect, not a lot of telekenetics could move things that large with the amount of accuracy he had, and just seeing that made Rey let go. She collapsed on to the floor, unable to feel the rest of her body.

“I know you’re doing this, Luke, you can’t fool me!” Ben yelled, the anger in hid voice matched the ferocity of his power. “I see the surface of the water isn’t moving!”

 _Come to think of it,_ Rey said, her eyes fluttering closed. _Shouldn’t we be rocking, if this was real?_

The creature hesitated, and dropped its shoulders, shaking his head.

“Ben,” it said. “Come to the island.”

Then, like it was no big deal at all, it vanished. Rey closed her eyes as Ben dropped his arms and walked over to her. This was how she always pictured Ben in her mind, by the way, walking to her with that stride of his, his jaw tight and his eyes blazing.

He knelt down in front of her.

“You shouldn’t have left,” he said.

“Yes I should,” she told him before she lost hold of her consciousness and fell into the deep.

* * *

Rey woke up with a start, all too aware that she didn’t know where she was, what had happened, if she was actually still alive.

She shivered. It was _cold,_ wherever this was. She heard the sounds of rain smattering on the thatched roof above her head, buffeting against the stone walls around her. She heard shouting outside, and she immediately got out of bed, fell to the ground because of shaky legs.

“Get _up_ ,” she told herself and pushed off off the floor and burst out of the weather-worn door to a small clearing. There, in the middle, Ben was facing the hut, his eyes murderous. An old man in a ratty, wet cloak had his back to Rey.

“I didn’t come here for your forgiveness!” Ben yelled over the buffeting winds. “You tried to kill me!”

“I know,” a deep voice yelled back. “I’m sorry.”

“No!” Ben shook his head, and the rocks supporting the huts around them started to rumble. “I don’t want to—“

“Why did you come here, then? To recruit me into the war? You and I both know I can never go back, after what I almost did,” Luke said. “After I failed you.”

Luke reached out, and Ben jerked. Rocks flew up in the air, and Rey instinctively reached up.

“STOP!”

Everything froze in midair. The rocks, the water, the wind and rain. Porgs that had been curiously gliding down to see the ruckus were stopped mid-flight. Ben’s eyes were wide as he turned to Rey, and Luke looked behind him to see her.

Rey strained at the use of her magic.

“Rey, stop, you’ll hurt yourself—“ Ben began.

“Not until you promise not to hurt each other anymore!” Rey yelled. “Jesus christ, the two of you! You already lost Han, and Leia is so overwhelmed by herself that she had to send a complete stranger to deal with her own twin brother! I have HAD IT.”

“Okay,” Luke said in a soothing voice. “Just…let go, Rey.”

“Not until you both promise to _stop it._ ” She was saying all of this, but really, this new power of hers was really difficult to control, and it was growing much faster than she expected. How could she be doing this?

“We promise,” Ben said, looking at Luke for confirmation, and he nodded.

Rey released the strings she was holding, and the world feel back into place without missing a beat. Luke looked at Rey like she had a second head.

“It was you,” he said. “Down by the ocean, the one who tried to control the illusion…”

“I was hired by Leia to bring you back into the Resistance. The First Order is growing more powerful by the day.”

Luke waved a hand over his face and shook his head. “I have no place in the next war. Everything you need is already here.”

Then he looked at Ben, who bit his bottom lip. He looked like he was trembling, and so completely unsure of himself.

“This is why you came, isn’t it?” Luke asked Ben. “For her. For your mother. For your father.”

Ben nodded.

“I really do hope you learn to forgive me one day,” Luke said, walking to his nephew and hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder. “But I’m happy to see you’re starting to forgive yourself.”

Then, with one little wink in Rey’s direction, he walked off into the sleet and the rain. Rey watched with disbelief as Luke Skywalker literally walked out of the conversation, out of the war.

She started to cry. And she hated that she was crying, and she could barely tell between the rain and her own tears, but they were there. She was just so emotionally and physically exhausted, and it just felt all so…empty and meaningless.

She’d failed.

Ben walked over to her. She knew he was just as exhausted as she was. He wiped at her eyes, for all the good that did, and brushed Rey’s wet hair away from her face.

“That’s it?” She asked him. “We came all this way, and that’s it?”

“He’ll come around,” Ben said with all the confidence of a man who knew exactly what Luke was going through. “He’ll be there when we need him.”

“But—“

“I think I love you,” he said. “You saved me.”

“You saved yourself,” Rey insisted, pressing her forehead to his chest.

“You helped.”

“I supposed I did,” Rey sighed, closing her eyes. “What am I going to tell Leia?”

Ben chuckled, a low, comforting sound.

“Leave her to me,” he said.

And there, under the rain, among all the porgs who seemed especially interested in Ben, Rey Niima and Ben Solo kissed. Odd how for a Seeker, Rey never really knew what she was looking for, until now. Out of all the bolt holes and crappy apartments she would ever have to her name, this, kissing in the rain in a strange island with Ben Solo? This was home.

“Now if the two of you would stop kissing, I really need help with some chores here!”


End file.
